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Since I got the car a little over a year ago, I've always wondered about this. It never really bothered me before, but lately It's been bugging me.
There is a mediocre sized dent in my passenger side fender. The carfax report says the car was involved in a single accident involving a front end impact, but with minor/superficial damage inflicted.
Now, a dent in the fender isn't so bad to swallow. But there are other odd things that really make it a bigger problem. The passenger side door is difficult to close compared to the drivers side door. You have to exert a pretty decent amount of force when shutting the door or it will not latch fully. Also, when you go to open the drivers side door, when you pull the handle it just sorta unlatches and waits for you to open it. On the passengers side door, the second you lift the handle it actually pops open as if there is tension on it. Taking a close look at the door, it does not appear to line up correctly. If you look at the photos, you will see the door does not line up with the fender. Also, the GFX at the bottom of the fender are pushed out. Now, given that this fender is obviously warped the pushed out GFX and the area where you see it caved in in the fenderwell support the theory that it is actually the fender that is out of alignment with the door. But inspecting different areas of the door, you will see it is out of alignment as well. Take a look at the back of the door. It is definitely out of alignment with the quarter and GFX.
Also, if you take a look at the top edge of the window with the door closed, it does not rest as deep inside the weatherstripping as the drivers side door. The hood also does not line up right on the passengers side.
What happened here? That doesn't look like a big enough crash to harm much else than the fender. But did it really fubar everything in that general area? Door AND hood? All the times the car has been on a rack, I never saw any sign of frame damage. Or, could it have been a previous owner removed both the door and the hood to reshape the fender the best he could and couldn't manage to reattach them right?
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These fenders can get out of alignment really easily if the car is jacked up incorrectly. The rear mounting point underneath the car is supposed to point straight down; the passenger side on my 89 RS looked the same as yours does there and the mounting section had been completely flattened against the floor/frame. May be worth taking a look
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1987 Trans Am, work in progress
2008 Pontiac G8
Retired: 1984 Camaro "ZF" 2.8L, 1989 Camaro RS
Customer Service Manager, 1A Auto Parts
that is what it looks like to me. someone jacked the car up in the wrong pot and it pushed the bottom of the fender out.. AND probably worn hinge bushings.
The dent in your fender is the reason the fender and door no longer align. It has pulled and stretched the fender away from its mounting points. The rear is a differnt story. that is caused from your striker being moved at one time probably just got loose. Open your door and grab a torx socket, loosen up the striker and move it in a little and retighten. check for alignment. move in more if necessary. Be sure that striker doesnt move up or down. Before shutting the door make sure striker lines up with door latch. Good luck.
Does your door have any up/down play or wiggle to it? These door are very heavy and notorious for sagging. May need to take a look at your upper and lower hinges for good measure.
__________________
1987 Trans Am, work in progress
2008 Pontiac G8
Retired: 1984 Camaro "ZF" 2.8L, 1989 Camaro RS
Customer Service Manager, 1A Auto Parts
Neither door sags at all. Although the drivers side door is missing the parts that hold it open halfway and keep it from flying all the way open on It's own.
